Awoken

Isaiah 61:1-2NRSV

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
    to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;

I was driving home through the state of Virginia yesterday with my mother as we headed home from the ELCA's Rostered Minister's Conference in Atlanta. We came from three and a half days spent with other minister's in the ELCA learning, growing, praising, lamenting, hoping, praying, worshiping, serving, fellowshipping, celebrating, and simply being with each other.

We had amazing speakers who woke us up: Bishop Eaton with her hopes for the future of the ELCA; James Forbes, Jr., who came as prophet to call us to be embodied servants of God in these troubled times; and Rachel Held Evans who reminded us that God's church needs not worry of dying. Only Empire needs worry of dying. God's church is a place where resurrection happens.

In the city of Atlanta I was reminded of the peacemakers and prophets like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jimmy Carter who came to bring good news to the oppressed.

And so I drove home renewed,reenergized and ready to begin again. Reminded that the Spirit of the Lord is upon me and is upon my mother and my fellow ministers. The spirit of the Lord is also on you. It is on us: calling us to bring good news. To bind wounds. To proclaim liberty. To comfort.

And I drove home through Virginia, where in Charlottesville, a college town braces for evil and violence. 

I drove not knowing any of this. I drove listening to music and having conversation with my mother about all we had seen and learned.

And all that had prepared us.

But today I am reminded again of the call from God.

Of the Spirit that calls me to heal, to bind up, to proclaim true liberty to captives.

There is much to heal in this nation and in this world. And honestly, it all seems very daunting.

Especially when added to whatever personal wounds you might be dealing with yourself right now.

Yet we are called. And we are also promised. Promised that our God is one of good news. Of grace. Of mercy. Of forgiveness. Of comfort.

That God will give us strength to tell the truth. To proclaim that good news. To bind the wounds of those who suffer violence. Even when those wounds are ours, or when they are wounds we have created ourselves.

We are a resurrection people. It is time to live with that certainty as we go forward helping, healing, and hoping.

Lord, wake us all up to your call for mercy and justice for all who are in need. Give us the strength and courage to go on. Amen.